Between 2003 and 2012, Jia Yu, concerned about the livelihoods of local herders, traveled between his hometown of Yushu and Xining, capturing family portraits of the Khampa Tibetans and documenting their daily lives in the mountain villages.

"Tibetans are the only people in the world who can live above 4,000 meters altitude, which is their contribution to humanity," Jia Yu said. His photography aims to raise awareness and understanding of their way of life.

In 2020, Jia Yu embarked on a poignant journey to reunite with the pastoralists he had photographed, returning the images to them. The pastoralists reciprocated with gifts as a token of gratitude for preserving their visual memories during a time when cameras were scarce.